Vehicles commonly include a number of electronics systems and subsystems for operation of the vehicle and for driver and passenger convenience, including entertainment, informational and environmental systems including audio, climate control, voice command, navigation, and engine monitoring systems. Control over and/or monitoring of the various systems can be provided via the user interfaces of an in-vehicle information system. The user interface can include one or more outputs such as display panels and speakers, and one or more input devices (e.g., dials, buttons, and the like), a microphone for receiving voice commands, and/or a touchscreen display for receiving input touch commands. The in-vehicle system is typically integrated in the vehicle's dashboard within easy reach of the driver.
In-vehicle information systems can be connected with portable user devices, such as mobile phones and the like, via wired or wireless connections in order to expand the functionality of the in-vehicle information system. For example, the mobile phone can be used to place a telephone call, and audio data from the phone can be streamed to the in-vehicle information system's speakers; using the speakers and a microphone, the driver may participate in a telephone conversation hands-free. As another example, audio data on a portable user device such as a mobile phone, MP3 player or other entertainment device can be streamed to the in-vehicle information system and played back over the vehicle's speakers.